Tullamore Saturday - Donegal Primary Schools CREAM OF YOUNG IRISH TALENT TO COMPETE IN KITKAT ALL-IRELAND SCHOOLS’ TRACK & FIELD FINAL Tullamore Harriers Stadium, Saturday 31st May 2008 After battling it out at local and regional level, the best of Irish schools’ athletics talent will get set to compete at the highly anticipated KitKat All Ireland Schools Track & Field Final on Saturday, 31st May 2008 at Tullamore Harriers Stadium. This yearly event is the culmination of months of tough competition for schools’ athletes throughout Ireland, who have progressed through regional and provincial championships to secure their much sought after place in the All-Ireland final. The senior boys’ 400m race will be one of the most exciting competitions of the day with all eyes sure to be on Brian Gregan, St Mark’s Tallaght. Brian had a superb return to form at the recent KitKat Leinster final completing the race in a new record of 47.49 secs. Brian will be looking to add an All-Ireland title to his accomplishments but will have to beat off stiff competition from the KitKat Ulster Schools’ champion, Jason Harvey, Campbell College, and Billy Ryan, DLS Waterford. In the senior girls’ 200m race sprinter Niamh Whelan, Presentation Waterford will hope to follow on from her Munster win but will have tough competition in the form of Hannah Lewis, Bloomfield Collegiate, and Sharon Kilduff, St Louis CS Kiltimagh. Another race which is sure to be a battle of wills is the Senior Boys’ 200m where last year’s champion, Michael Hynes, St Fintan’s Sutton, will be strongly challenged by Christopher Russell, Waterpark College. Both of these athletes are the main contenders for the 100m title as well. The intermediate Girls’ 100m throws together some of the brightest talents to emerge in Irish sprinting in recent years when Joan Healy, Colaiste na Toirbhirte Bandon, takes on Hannah Todd, Ballyclare HS, and Stephanie Creanor, Loreto St Stephen’s Green. The Intermediate Boys’ 100m will be just as exciting and unpredictable with Scott Hamilton, Regent House, Paul Whelan, Templeogue College, and Lorcan O’Cathain, Marist Athlone, the main contenders. The hurdles events will not lack in excitement as many of the races will be very close and difficult to predict. It took a photo-finish to separate Patrick Maher, Davis Mallow, and Edmond O’Halloran, Rochestown College, in the KitKat Munster Schools’. This will be just as close with the possibility that Ian Durkin, Davitt Castlebar, and Paul Whelan, Templeogue College, also involved. Kalyn Sheehan, Ursuline Waterford has had a magnificent schools’ career and will be hoping to go out on a high in her last year. Kalyn will be looking for a 400m and 100m Hurdle double. A record breaking performance by Tomas Cotter, St Mary’s Dundalk, in the Senior Boys’ Steeplechase in the KitKat Leinster Schools’ augurs well for the All-Ireland where the record must surely be in danger. Tomas won the 1500m as well but this time things could be more difficult with Craig Murphy, Douglas CS, and Ian Ward, Royal & Prior, in the field. Another who could add the All-Ireland title to her Leinster one is Tara Jameson, Dominican Wicklow, in the Intermediate Girls’ 3,000m but again an Ulster girl poses the greatest threat in Joanne Mills, Shimna Integrated School. Shane Quinn, DLS Waterford, should add the intermediate Boys’ 1,500m title to his achievements. A race to look out for will be the Intermediate Girls’ 1,500m where Ciara Mageean, Assumption Ballynahinch, will be challenged once again by Eimear Black, Dominican Fortwilliam. The Senior Boys’800m will be interesting with Noel Collins, Drumragh Integrated, last year’s Steeplechase Champion and bronze medalist in Europe, doing battle with the KitKat Leinster Schools’ Champion, Anthony Leighio, Crumlin College. In the field events exciting competitions will be everywhere. Aoife Hickey, Loreto Kilkenny, could be chasing Eileen O’Keefe’s record in the Senior Girls’ Hammer. An emerging thrower, Marco Pons, CBS Wexford, will be hoping to do the double in the Junior Boys’ Shot and Discus. The Senior Boys’ High Jump should be interesting with Barry Pender, Knockbeg College, Ben Reynolds, Sullivan Upper, Kourash Foroughi, Gormanston, and Gary Coulter, Ballymena Academy, all capable to setting a new record. Eanna O’Cathain, Carraroe CS, was a record breaker in the KitKat Connacht Schools’ and will be hoping to continue in that mode in the intermediate Boys’ Discus and Shot. The Intermediate Girls’ Long Jump should be an exciting competition with Joanna Mills, Ballyclare HS, Sally Rose Maughan, St Joseph’s Castlebar, and Nicola Power, Abbey CC Waterford, all in contention. The Intermediate Girls’ Shot and Discus should be dominated by the very promising Claire Fitzgerald, Presentation Tralee. The Senior Boys’ Shot pits last year’s Senior Champion, Luke Mangan, Belvedere College, against last year’s Intermediate Champion, Dayle Kennedy, Abbey CC Waterford. Another Belvedere boy Killian Barry threw 59.93m in the KitKat Leinster Schools’ Intermediate Boys’ Hammer and will be hoping for repeat performance on Saturday. Throughout the 106 events there will be good competition from the best young athletes that this country possesses. Getting to this stage has been an achievement for them all. What happens on Saturday is only a bonus. All will be endeavoring to achieve a personal best and go home satisfied as there can be only one winner. This year marks the 46th year of KitKat Irish Schools’ which is known as the “bedrock” of Irish athletics. Since the programme was first launched, some of Ireland’s most famous sporting stars such as Sonia O’Sullivan, Caitriona McKiernan, Eamon Coghlan, David Gillick and Denis Hickie have taken part in the programme. More recently, it has seen new emerging talents such as Derval O’Rourke, Joanne Cuddihy and Eileen O’Keeffe come up through the ranks and go on to achieve success at European and international level. Timetable of Events St. Marys ,Stranorlar;, Cashel, Glencolmcille; and Annagry are the Donegal athletics primary school champions for 2008 . It was once again a bust day at Finn Valley ac , Stranorlar for the finals with 1000 children vying for honours both individually and for school honours in the various sections namely small ( less than 100 students ), Medium ( 100-200 ) and large ( 200 plus ) . The 38th annual event attracted schools from Glengad in the North of Inishowen to St Macartens , Bundoran in the South . The officials did an excellent job getting getting through 62 events in 3 hours with the added bonus of good weather . How long will our luck last with the favourable weather . The event hosted by Finn Valley annually had Senator Brian o Domhnaill present as guest of honour ,Brian is of course a club member at valley ..The list of officials that are of course key to the excellent impact the event makes are Neil Martin,Bridgeen Doherty, Mariosa Doherty, Michael Kelly, Paul Finn, Sean Carlin,Gavin Carlin , Brendan Mc Nulty, Noel Laverty,Peader Mc Granaghan ,Mary Kearns, Bernie O Callaghan, Leona Byrne, Nicola Alcorn, Anne Mc Gill ,Eamon Harvey, Rosaleen Mc Gonagle, Patsy Mc Ginley Bernie Alcorn Brendan Patton, Grace Boyle, Maeve Culhane, Breda Mc Ginty, Noreen Martin, Patsy Mc Gonagle etc . Overall Large School 1 St Marys , Stranorlar 2 Woodlands 3 Tooban Medium 1 Annagry 2 Kilmacrenan 3 St Bridgets , Convoy Small 1 Cashel 2 Rathmullan 3 Gleneely Outstanding performances from -Mark Mc Guinness,Bruckless ;Georgie and Leanne Kelly Tooban :Blaithnaid Patton Stranorlar ;Amber Barrett ,Rathmullan ;Niamh Kelly , Kilmacrenan ;Zola Adeyoola, Colmcille ;Conor Doherty ,Kilcar;Sarah Martin ,Lifford;Summer Leckie ,Erdeenagh ;Arlene Crossan ,Lurgybrack . Bernie Alcorn Primary Schools Challenge